Loans

The FAFSA application is the application students must complete once every year in order to apply for federal
Stafford and Perkins loans. Please note that all Title IV HEA loans applied for are
submitted to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), and will be accessible
by guaranty agencies, lenders, and institutions determined to be authorized users
of the data system. See the menu on the left for other "college specific" financial
aid information.

If you prefer to complete a paper MPN, contact the Financial Aid Office for assistance.

Entrance Counseling

If you have not previously received a Direct Loan program loan, you must complete
Entrance Counseling before receiving Direct Loan funds. Visit the StudentLoans.gov
Web site at https://studentloans.gov immediately to complete Direct Loan Entrance Counseling and avoid delays in receiving
your loan funds.

If you prefer to complete a paper MPN, contact the Financial Aid Office for assistance.

Graduate PLUS Loan

The Graduate PLUS Loan allows graduate and professional students to borrow under the
PLUS loan program up to their cost of attendance minus any other financial assistance.
Please note that this loan, along with all Title IV HEA loans, are submitted to the
National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), and will be accessible by guaranty agencies,
lenders, and institutions determined to be authorized users of the data system. To
apply, please follow the following two step process:

Complete the "Complete PLUS Request Process" at studentloans.gov and confirm the amount has been approved at the max or other amount.

Complete the Additional Funds Request Form and request the identical amount as you did on the online application (i.e. Max or
other specific amount), and turn it into the UTHSC Financial Aid Office.

Once the UTHSC Financial Aid Office has received this form, you will be able to view
your Graduate PLUS Loan award in Banner Self-Service.

More information on the Graduate PLUS Loan

Parent PLUS Loan

The Parent PLUS Loan allows parents of undergraduate students to borrow under the
PLUS loan program up to their cost of attendance minus any other financial assistance.
Please note that this loan, along with all Title IV HEA loans, will be submitted to
the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), and will be accessible by guaranty
agencies, lenders, and institutions determined to be authorized users of the data
system. To apply, please follow the following two step process:

Complete the "Complete PLUS Request Process" at studentloans.gov and confirm the amount has been approved at the max or other amount.

Complete the Parent PLUS Request Form and request the identical amount as you did on the online application (i.e. Max or
other specific amount), and turn it into the UTHSC Financial Aid Office.

Once the UTHSC Financial Aid Office has received this form, you will be able to view
your Graduate PLUS Loan award in Banner Self-Service.

National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)

The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) is the U.S. Department of Education's
(ED's) central database for student aid. NSLDS receives data from schools, guaranty
agencies, the Direct Loan program, and other Department of ED programs. NSLDS Student
Access provides a centralized, integrated view of Title IV loans and grants so that
recipients of Title IV Aid can access and inquire about their Title IV loans and/or
grant data. This website can be accessed at: nslds.ed.gov.

Consolidating FFEL Program Loans into the Direct Loan

If you already have FFEL Program loans and will now be receiving Direct Loans, consolidating
your FFEL and Direct Loan program loans together into a Direct Consolidation loan
may make loan repayment easier. If you consolidate, you will have just a single monthly
payment. Consolidating your FFEL Program loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan may
also allow you to take advantage of certain benefits that are offered only in the
Direct Loan Program, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness and the Income Contingent
Repayment Plan.

To learn more about when you may consolidate, the pros and cons of doing so, and the
application process, visit www.loanconsolidation.ed.gov or call 800/557-7392 (TDD/TTY:
800/557-7395).

Additional Information

For additional information about Direct Loans, visit www.direct.ed.gov/student.html
or the Financial Aid office for more information.

Loan Forgiveness

Under certain circumstances, the Federal government will cancel all or part of an
educational loan. This practice is called Loan Forgiveness. Students who are interested
in gathering more information on loan forgiveness programs can start their search
at Finaid.org's Loan Forgiveness web page.

Postponing Repayment/Deferment Options

If you have trouble making your education loan payments, immediately contact the organization
that services your loan. You might qualify for a deferment, forbearance, or other
form of payment relief. It's important to take action before you are charged late
fees. For Federal Perkins Loans, contact your loan servicer or the school that made
you the loan. For Direct and FFEL Stafford Loans, contact your loan servicer. If you
do not know who your servicer is, you can look it up in the U.S. Department of Education's
National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS).

Request for Perkins Deferment/Cancellation

Under certain conditions, a Perkins loan can have a portion of the debt (including
interest) waived. If you qualify, use these forms to request deferment/cancellation
of your loan. If you are not sure which deferment/cancellation to apply for, you can
review a list of possible deferments/cancellations, including the conditions under which each can be granted.